Repository:
University of the Pacific. Library. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections

Stockton, CA 95211

Shelf location: For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the library's online catalog.

Language:
English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Morris (Bert J.) Collection, Mss290, Holt-Atherton Department
of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Access Points

personal name

Morris, Bert Jasper (1875-1959)

Blakeman, Edward William (1880-1963)

corporate name

University of the Pacific -History -Sources

University of California, Berkeley -History -Sources

Harvard University -History -Sources

Methodist Church -California -History

Methodist Church -Education -California

subject

Methodists -California -Intellectual life

Methodists -California -Biography

Students -Religious life -University of California, Berkeley

Students -Harvard University -Counseling of

History -Societies, etc. -California

Manuscripts, American -California -History

Biography

Bert Jasper Morris (1875-1959) graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University (1903), received
a second A.B. from the University of California (1904), a B.D. from the Pacific School of
Religion in Berkeley (1906), an A.M. from Harvard University (1907), and a Ph.D. from
Boston University (1908). He was Professor of Philosophy and subsequently Acting
President at the College of the Pacific in San Jose (1909-1918), spent two years at
Harvard University with the Bureau of Vocational Guidance (1918-19), served as the
Director of Religious Education and founder of the Wesley Foundation at UC Berkeley
(1919-1925), was Religion and Community Editor and columnist with the Pacific Rural Press
(1920s-1950s), and, pastored a church in Portola during the 1940s. Upon his retirement,
Morris served as the California-Nevada Methodist Annual Conference Historical Society
President (1950s).

Scope and Content

The items in Series 1 relate to Morris' life until his retirement in the late 1940s. The
series contains correspondence and ephemera relating to his personal life (1907-1947);
correspondence, ephemera and publications relating to the College of the Pacific
(1909-1918) and to the Bureau of Vocational Guidance at Harvard University (1918-1919);
correspondence, ephemera, photographs, reports and students lists of the University of
California, Berkeley Wesley Foundation (1919-1925) and a Morris manuscript history of the
Foundation, as well as pamphlets of the history of other Wesley Foundations & clippings.
The items in Series 2 relate to Morris' presidency of the California-Nevada Annual
Conference Historical Society during the 1950s. They consist of: correspondence, ephemera
and minutes produced by the Cal-Nev Methodist Historical Society; programs and reports of
the California-Nevada Conference of the Methodist Church (1948-49; 1956; 1958); and,
books, bulletins, flyers, magazines, periodicals, pamphlets, newspapers and photographs
relating to Methodism and to other historical societies in California. Series 3 contains
Morris' manuscript drafts and notes for Morris' a history of California and a history of
religion in California. Series 4 consists of publications and unpublished materials by
Edward Blakeman, a Methodist contemporary of Morris' and a religious educator at various
universities.

2.3.15-"Is Mormonism Changing?" by Edward Laird Mills, 1946; "Week of Prayer and World Fellowship," November 13-19, 1949;
"Annual Convocation for Ministers and Laymen," 11-7/8-50; "Because He Rose: From a Sermon by Peter Marshall," 1955

2.3.16-newspaper, "California Christian Advocate," 1-10-1878

2.3.17-do., "California Christian Advocate," 7-2-1884

2.3.18-do., "The Christian Advocate," 1-15-1880

2.3.19-do., "The Pony Express," May 1953

2.3.20-clippings, re: WWII, 1940s

2.3.21-clippings, re: American Historical Association, 1955

2.3.22-clippings, re: California Historical Society, c1950s

2.3.23-clippings, re: national history/events, c1950s

2.3.24-clippings, re: local history/events, c1950s

2.3.25-clippings, re: Rough & Ready [in Grass Valley, CA], 1955

2.3.26-clippings, re: John Winkley, 1950s

2.3.27-clippings, re: religion, c1950s

2.3.28-clippings, re: political commentary -- "The National Whirligig," 1957-58

2.3.29-clippings, re: misc [NOTE: the newspaper clippings categories were created by BJM]

2.3.30-photographs, First Methodist Church, San Francisco, n.d. (two)

2.3.31-photographs, group shot of the California Methodist Conference, n.d. c1850s

BOX 3: HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA MS DRAFTS [The working title of this MS is unknown. It consisted of a narrative which includes
a geographical and expansionist history of the state of California. There is no record of BJM's order for the chapters (except
for the first four Calif. MS drafts with asterisks (*) by the titles), therefore all drafts and notes are grouped by subject
matter. All labels given to the folders are those provided by BJM. The assumed dates for these drafts and notes is c1956-1959.]

3.3.1-Calif. MS drafts, "The First Glimpses of California"

3.3.2-do., "Francis Drake"

3.3.3-do., "Gali, Unamuno, Cermaño"

3.3.4-do., "Sebastian Vizcaino"

3.3.5-do., "Cortés the Master Adventurer"

3.3.6-do., "California Conquistadores"

3.3.7-do., "The White Man Finds California"

3.3.8-do., "Discovery of Monterey Bay"

3.3.9-do., "Ancestors of the American Indians"

3.3.10-do., re: Indian settlements in California

3.3.11-do., re: Americans in pioneer California

3.3.12-do., "California Land Grants"

3.3.13-do., "The Land and its Climate"

3.3.14-do., "California Soils"

3.3.15-do., "Conclusion"

BOX 4: "RELIGION IN CALIFORNIA" MS DRAFTS [NOTE: The working title for this MS is assumed to be "Religion in California."
There is no record of BJM's order for the chapters, therefore all drafts and notes are grouped by subject matter. All labels
given to the folders are those provided by BJM. The assumed dates for these drafts and notes is c1956-1959]

3.4.1-Religion in Calif. MS drafts, "How Methodism was First Planted in California"

3.4.2-Religion in Calif. MS drafts, "Methodists found Pacific Grove"

3.4.3-Religion in Calif. MS drafts, "The First California Methodist Pioneers"

BOX 1: COLLECTION OF EDWARD BLAKEMAN MATERIAL, 1920S-1950s [Edward Blakeman (1880-1963) took over the position of Director
of the Wesley Foundation at UC Berkeley after BJM left the university (1926). He wrote many articles on religious education
when he served as a faculty member of the University of Michigan (1931-48) as the Counselor in Religious Education and as
the Director in Religious Affairs.]

4.1.1-biographical statistics

4.1.2-correspondence with BJM, 1957

4.1.3-BJM's notes on Blakeman's writings

4.1.4-misc

4.1.5-Blakeman Publications: "A University Program in Religion" reprinted from Christian Education (December 1929)

4.1.6-Blakeman Publications: 1930s

a-"Religion at State Universities," reprinted from Religious Education (April 1930)